to pick up an unauthorized female passenger. While Klein was supportive of Cardinal through the child support scandal, he was unable to ignore the misuse of government property issues, and Klein requesting Cardinal resign from Cabinet which occurred on May 31, 1996. Klein appointed Stockwell Day to replace Cardinal as Minister. Minister of Resource Development and Sustainable Resource Development (2000−2004) Cardinal returned to Ralph Klein's cabinet in June 2000 when he was appointed Minister of Resource Development. As Minister of Resource Development, Cardinal led the deregulation efforts for the Alberta electricity system. Alberta's rapidly growing economy put a significant strain on the province's electricity system, resulting in significantly higher than anticipated costs for residential consumers as deregulation came into effect in 2000. Cardinal was able to responded to gasoline and natural gas challenges by providing two $150 rebate cheques, but the government held firm that electricity rates would eventually come down through deregulation. In September 2000, a $20 monthly rebate was provided on monthly bills, totaling $1.1 billion, which was not received well by the public. The government initially announced that residential increases would be stopped in 2001, but after backlash from power companies in December 2000, the government lifted the rate caps and doubled the electricity rebate to $40 per month, doubling the province's rebate program expense to over $2 billion. The government's response to deregulation in 2000, a year before the provincial election, was described as "throwing money" as the problem in hopes it would be resolved, and making policy "on the fly". In 2001, the Ministry of Resource Development was split, with oil and gas regulation moving to the Ministry of Energy under Murray D. Smith, and the environmental and land management elements remaining with Cardinal in the newly named Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development. In 2002, Cardinal was found to have violated the Conflict of Interests Act when he approved opening Calling Lake for recreational fishing after it was discovered he owned a home along the lake. Cardinal made the decision to open the lake despite advice from departmental biologists that deemed the lake ecosystem to be "collapsed". Personal life and death Cardinal died on January 12, 2023, at the age of 81. Election results References Works cited External links 1941 births 2023 deaths Alberta municipal councillors Alberta school board trustees Cree people First Nations politicians Members of the Executive Council of Alberta Progressive Conservative Association